Bath sponge of foamed plastic



Jan. 21, 1964 N. R. ABBERLY BATH SPONGE OF FOAMED PLASTIC Filed Dec. 17, 1962 wmw gin

rates This invention relates to bath sponges of foamed plastic; this term, it being understood, embraces natural rubber, mixtures of it and synthetic rubber, as well as all kinds of appropriate plastics.

The object is to provide an elongated bath sponge with a backbone so that the user, While holding a sponge end or handle portion, can apply the other end or applied portion to all parts of the anatomy conveniently.

Briefly described, the invention embodiment is a handleless elongated sponge which in the main consists of two integral components. One is an elongated solid core of foamed plastic sponge material that is relatively stiff. The other is a tubular sheath with an elongated interior that contains the core which is of foamed plastic sponge material, relatively soft when water saturated. The core may be of the closed cell and the sheath may be of the open cell type. The by far larger portion of the inside surface of the sheath fays with the therein core, which is held by cement or any other suitable means to prevent mutual axial displacement of the two coaxially united said components.

For reference purposes, the sponge is seen as being conjecturally divided into two equally long halves, namely, an applied half and a handle half. The core end surface in the applied half is alternatively referred to as the core first end surface; the there sheath end surface, as the sheath first end surface. The cross plane of said sheath first end surface lies outside that of said core first end surface, which, with the smaller (remaining) portion of said inside surface, defines an applied-half end recess. At the handle-half free end, the corresponding core (second) end either alines with or protrudes from the there corresponding sheath (second) end. In either case the there sheath endmost cross plane of the sheath second end intersects the core. The sheath interior, excepting for said recess, is filled by the core, of which only the two end surfaces are exposed to the exterior. Excepting for only a quite minor end portion of the handle half, and then only in the case of the protruding core, the sponge outside lateral surfaces are those of only the sheath. In the applied half, and here without exceptions, the sponge outside lateral surfaces are those of only the sheath.

For a full understanding of the invention refer to the accompanying drawing.

FIGURE 1 is a broadside view of an elongated sponge incorporating this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the same.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the same.

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal plane-of-symrnetry sectional View of a second elongated sponge incorporating this invention.

FIGURE 5 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Refer to FIGURES l, 2 and 3.

The relatively hard and stiff core is indicated by 15. The relatively soft, flexible sheath 16 is an elongated tubular element which cross-sectionally is circular and dimensionally uniform. Two sheath cross planes are represented: SHSH is the handle-portion-end cross plane; SA-SA is the applied-portion-end cross plane. The recess cross plane, which defines the end surface of the re cess end of the core, is indicated by RR. A thereadjacent part of the inside surface of sheath 16 and said end surface and plane SASA jointly define the recess in the applied-portion end of the sponge. The person of the sponge user is adequately spaced from the otherwise ir- 3,318,163 Patented Jan. 21, 1954:

2 ritating core end. The core material is closed-cell foamed plastic and has no recesses other than those inherent in it as a foamed product. The open-cell-foamed plastic sheath is, per se, a tube open at both of its ends.

Refer to FIGURES 4 and 5.

The hard core is indicated by 17, the soft sheath by 18, and the recess by 19. Five sheath cross planes are represented: SH-SI-I is the handle-portion cross plane at the free end thereof; HH is the cross plane of the handle portion centrally thereof in the length; MM is the cross plane that defines the handle portion from the equally long applied portion; A-A is the cross plane of the applied portion centrally thereof in the length; SA-SA is the applied-portion cross plane at the free end thereof. The cross plane containing the end surface of the core recess end is indicated by RR.

The sponge of FIGURES 4- and 5 differs from the first one in that the core-end surface at the handle portion free end is flush with the corresponding end surface of the sheath, and in that the tubular sheath has a tapering external form in the second sponge, i.e. the form of a truncated cone. Equally practicably it may be of a truncated-pyramidal form. In the first sponge the handle portion core end protrudes from the sheath corresponding end, and the sheath is a straight tubular element. The core-protruding state of the first sponge is associable with a tapered sheath; alternatively, alinement of core end and sheath end in the end of the handle half in FIGURE 4 may replace in FIGURE 1 the protruding state of the core, or the protruding state of the core in FIGURE 1 may replace the alinement in FIGURE 4.

The division of the sponge 17, if; in its length into two equally long portions is a conjectural one having as its purpose the pointing up of the fact that the sheath-tocore volume ratio in the relatively large applied portion is, as the observer sees, more than one-and-one-half times that in the relatively small handle portion. The aim in making the sheath-to-core volume ratio in the applied half measure more than one-and-one-half times that in the handle half is to unite a relatively extensive soft skin-engaging mass with a handle half that is relatively compact, whereby it can be dependably held in even a small hand.

With reference to the two sponges, the important consideration does not lie in the mutual relationship of the core end and the sheath end at the handle-portion end of the sponge, but resides in the provision of a recess at every applied-portion end of the sponge.

Whether the device be a handle-type bath brush or the described invention-incorporating bath sponge, it is unavoidable to inadvertently, when not deliberately, bring the end of the device into contact with the users body in recessed zones of the body, such as the neck, armpits and crotch, although of course the broader surfaces are the ones of main application to the body. If the end surfaces of the relatively harsh core were to frequently contact the users body, it would irritate. Spacedly isolating it, as is seen in the drawing, precludes such inadvertent impacting of the core on the body.

I claim:

1. An elongated bath sponge consisting in the main of two integral coaxially united components, one being an elongated solid core of foamed closed cell plastic sponge material, the other being a tubular sheath with an elongated interior and made of foamed open cell plastic sponge material, the larger portion of the sheath inside surface faying with the therein contained said core and being held by any means suitable for preventing axial displacement of the two from one another, the sponge being conjecturally divisible into two equally long halves, one a handle half, the other an applied half, the sponge being further characterized by:

the endmost applied-half cross plane of the sheath ly- 1* ing outside that of the core to constitute a recess defined by the core end surface thereat and by the smaller portion of the sheath inside surface; the end- .most cross plane of the handle half intersecting the core; the greater part of the sponge outside lateral surfaces being sheath outside surfaces.

2. A sponge as described in claim 1, said tWo halves eing of unequal size, the sheath-to-core volume ratio in the large one measuring at least one-and-one-half times that in the small one.

3. An elongated bath sponge consisting in the main of two integral coaxially united components, one being an elongated solid core of relatively hard foamed plastic sponge material, the other being a tubular sheath with an elongated interior and made of relatively soft foamed plasic sponge material, the larger portion of the sheath inside surface faying with the therein contained said core and being held by any means suitable for preventing axial displacement of the two from one another, the sponge being conjecturally divisible into two equally long halves, one a handle half, the other an applied half, the sponge being further characterized by:

the endrnost applied-half cross plane of the sheath lying outside that of the core to constitute a recess defined by the core end surface thereat and by the smaller portion of the sheath inside surface; the endmost cross plane of the handle half intersecting the core; the greater part of the sponge outside lateral surfaces being sheath outside surfaces.

4. A sponge as described in claim 3, said two halves being of unequal size, the sheathto-core volume ratio in the large one measuring at least one-and-one-half times that in the small one.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES E ATENTS 1,559,523 Warinh Oct. 27, 1925 1,950,318 McNab Mar. 6, 1934- 2,133,805 Brown Oct. 18, 1938 2,555,858 Olcsiiy June 5, 1954 2,962,746 Heroy et al Dec. 6, 1960 3,067,450 Mirth Dec. 11, 1962 

3. AN ELONGATED BATH SPONGE CONSISTING IN THE MAIN OF TWO INTEGRAL COAXIALLY UNITED COMPONENTS, ONE BEING AN ELONGATED SOLID CORE OF RELATIVELY HARD FOAMED PLASTIC SPONGE MATERIAL, THE BEING A TUBULAR SHEARTH WITH AN ELONGATED INTERIOR AND MADE OF RELATIVELY SOFT FOAMED PLASTIC SPONGE MATERIAL, THE LARGER PORTION OF THE SHEARTH INSIDE SURFACE FAYING WITH THE THEREIN CONTAINED SAID CORE AND BEING HELD BY ANY MEANS SUITABLE FOR PREVENTING AXIAL DISPLACMENT OF THE TWO FROM ONE ANOTHER, THE SPONGE BEING CONJECTURALLY DIVISIBLE INTO TWO EQUALLY LONG HALVES, ONE A HANDLE HALF, THE OTHER AN APPLIED HALF, THE SPONGE BEING FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY: THE ENDMOST APPLIED-HALF CROSS PLANE OF THE SHEATH LYING OUTSIDE THAT OF THE CORE TO CONSTITUTE A RECESS DEFINED BY THE CORE END SURFACE THEREAT AND BY THE SMALLER PORTION OF THE SHEATH INSIDE SURFACE; THE ENDMOST CROSS PLANE OF THE HANDLE HALF INTESECTING THE CORE THE GREATER PART OF THE SPONGE OUTSIDE LATERIAL SURFACES BEING SHEATH OUTSIDE SURFACES. 